In Wartime
by MissScaryKitty
Summary: After Harry and the others disapparate from Xenophilius Lovegood's house an aquaintance of his comes to visit him and tries to convince him to join in the fight against Voldemort. Xenophilius and an Auror named Claudia
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hey everyone, this is a two-shot piece and my first Harry Potter fic. Hope you enjoy it. Please remember to send me a review.

Claudia had apparated just outside the home of Xenophilius Lovegood, or at least what was left of it. The frenzied man turned around to see her standing in the green field behind him, the strong wind from the north blowing her tousled hair about. After staring at her for a minute, he recognized her face, she was an Auror. He and Luna had met her at Bill and Fluer's wedding party. She was from the Ministry, and if he hadn't of seen her at the Burrow before he would have expected her to interrogate him.

"They have Luna," Xenophilius told her clambering up the hill to meet her.

"Yes, I heard. That is why I came instead of a real agent for the Ministry. If it weren't for me you would be dead now." She informed him. She looked down at him and saw his shaking hands and wondered briefly if it was from anxiety, fear, or the cold.

The death eaters from before had long gone, in search of Harry Potter and his friends. They could not be bothered with the lunatic ramblings of Xenophilius Lovegood. She was sure that they had already had heard enough from him.

Claudia looked behind him at the devastation that was wrought on his house and her heart sank a bit. She had seen many crimes like this in the past few months and it never got easier every time she had to see it. Sometimes the Ministry itself would order work like this to be done. Still Xenophilius's house seemed to be the least of his worries at the moment and the damage was reversible.

"Come," She said ushering him back down the hill. He tried to offer his arm to help to her as well but it turned out to be a stumbling mess. "Let's repair your house and we can talk." She said trying to calm him down. He was quiet on the outside but she knew that he was a panicking wreck on the inside.

Raising her wand, Claudia brought the house back together with a few incantations. Some spells she had to perform more than once to get everything correct. It would have been a lot easier to do if Xeno lent his wand as well but it was buried amongst the rubble and she didn't want him trying to do too much at the moment. And all the same she was glad to help him out.

After everything had been set to rights with the house, Xenophilius led Claudia into his home and they settled down at his small kitchen table. They talked about Luna's kidnapping and the Ministry's involvement with the Death Eaters at length.

He seemed to be getting over the shock of the attack the longer that they talked which was good because Claudia had important matters of her own to discuss with him. His involvement in the war had interested her from the beginning. She had followed his articles of support in the Quibbler about Harry Potter and Dumbledore since the beginning. She was not an avid reader of the Quibbler by far but she had begun to become one once she discovered that it was going in a different direction than the other papers. Xenophilius was the rare type of journalist whose goal was to actually bring the truth to the people and she highly respected that. Finding supporters was very hard these days and she needed to recruit as many as she could in order to fight the darkness that was taking over the wizarding world.

"I know you see the evil around us, and you write freely about it, but that is not enough Mr. Lovegood." Claudia explained after a while. She was finally getting to the point of her visit. "You must fight it. It is not enough anymore to know that you believe in good- people with noble ideals can be swayed too if put under the right pressure. They must act to make a difference. You must join the rebellion and fight the Ministry, the death eaters, and Volde-."

"Shhh!" Xenophilius cried, desperately jumping towards her and slapping his hand over her mouth to silence her. "They'll hear you… the Ministry, have you forgotten what will happen if you say _his_ name?" A moment passed between them before Xenophilius removed his hand from her lips. His fingers began to tremble as he pulled away, his sad blue eyes never leaving hers. He seemed quite upset now. "I have already done wrong by Harry Potter, Miss Claudia. I betrayed him to save my Luna." He whispered, still close to her face. There was a tone of hopelessness in his voice that caused Claudia's heart to sink.

Brushing a wayward lock of hair from her face she looked at Xenophilius and regarded him with a kind gaze. "You can seek redemption by joining us Mr. Lovegood." She told him.

The man shook his head sadly, his eyes downcast. "I cannot- not after what I have done."

"Xenophilius," She spoke, placing her hand on the man's shoulder. Xenophilius shrank at her touch but she kept her hand on him. He would not look her in the eye anymore he was so ashamed. "I do not know of any father who wouldn't give up the world to save their own child. Although what you did was not right, it was understandable. What you can do to help Harry Potter now is to join in the fight against his enemies."

Xenophilius ran a hand through his messy hair and cast her a very short glance before returning his gaze to the floor, "But what about Luna, they still have her. Imagine what they will do to her when they find out I have joined Harry Potter."

"Mr. Lovegood, please look at me." She begged, wishing him to at least look on her when he talked. He obeyed and she was shocked by his ice blue gaze. It was a strong hue for so mild a wizard. A silence passed between them as they watched one another. Finally Claudia spoke, "Did you really think that they were going to give her back to you even if you did give them Harry Potter?"

Xenophilius pressed his lips together, his eyes brimming with tears. "I had to, it was a chance…" he whispered through his tears. "However small it may have been it was still a chance. What kind of father would I be if I didn't try it?"

Claudia nodded, rounding the kitchen table "Your sense of hope was false and I feel that you knew it too… but for the love of your daughter you denied this notion. I know you did not want to lose her, but there was nothing you could have done to appease them. They are Death Eaters they have no regard for love or family. I'm sorry Mr. Lovegood for your hardship; this whole affair was set up to be a double edged sword."

"What exactly are you trying to say?" He asked.

"They're punishing you for speaking out against them and for supporting Harry. Even doing the right thing in this situation ends in a bitter result. Whatever you chose to have done Mr. Lovegood, to turn Harry Potter in or not, you would still have regrets about your decision… as I said before, a double edged sword." She explained, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Xenophilius quickly glanced over at her, his red-rimmed eyes now brimming with tears. He looked so ashamed of himself.

Claudia squeezed his shoulder to comfort him. "Please consider what your daughter would have wanted you to do." She said.

Xenophilius sniffed away his tears and shook his head, "She would not want have wanted this." He said, confident in his answer.

"That may be so but you can make it right," Claudia told him.

He then captured her face in his calloused hands, his warm palms cupping her cheeks. He lightly brushed his thumbs across her smooth skin, his hands slightly trembling. She was sure the cold weather made her skin feel as dry as paper.

Defensively she thought of pulling away but then she remembered that this was Xenophilius Lovegood, he would not turn to violence. Even with this thought in her head her heart still caught in her throat as he held her there- his eyes gazing into hers, his grey hues still keeping their serious calm as he connected with her own silver orbs. She said nothing, unsure of what he was trying to do in the first place. Most of the time there was nothing to say about what Xenophilius said and did. He was truly a unique man… if that's the word she was looking for.

Then he leaned in and insistently kissed her full on the lips. She quickly gasped against his mouth in surprise, unsure of how to react to such a gesture. Her first instinct was to pull away from him however she didn't. For some reason she thought that would be rude. Only Xenophilius could make one feel this way she realized. She slowly relaxed into his kiss, barely returning his gesture with an odd sort of acceptance.

As he pulled away from her she realized that he was no longer holding her face in his hands, in fact he wasn't touching her at all anymore. She didn't even notice that he had let go of her.

"Sorry." He whispered embarrassed, averting his gaze to the floor. Apparently this was strange behavior even for him.

"Don't be," she said quickly, trying to brush it off. "It's fine." Her hand hovered over her lips subconsciously as she locked her gaze onto the floor boards, "Just think about what I told you alright?" She said, trying to move on from what just happened. She knew Xenophilius was a lonely man who did not cope well without someone, but she never imagined him to be so desperate as to seek comfort in her… or whatever it was he was trying to do. In fact she decided that she couldn't even begin to analyze his actions.

Claudia quickly bade him farewell and turned to make for the door. She didn't get but two steps before his hand reached out from his side, grabbing her wrist to stop her.

"Xenophilius?" She asked, peering back at him then at her trapped hand. Her heart was beating quickly from a touch on anxiety.

"Don't go," he whispered, his voice carried an undercurrent of desperation.

For some reason she couldn't find it in her heart to say no. She looked around the empty house and felt the loneliness brought on by Luna's absence. Then a chill washed over her, ending at the point where Xenophilius was holding her wrist. She briefly wondered if he could feel her quickened pulse beneath her skin.

"I'll start a fire," she volunteered as she turned back around. "It's freezing in here; I don't know how you can stand it." She mused, a crooked smile forming on her lips. "Where's your fireplace?" She asked looking around the kitchen.

"It's upstairs in the livingroom." He told her, his voice as quiet and soft as ever.

Nodding with a smile she headed towards the stairs to the fireplace. She didn't look back to see Xenophilius's expression, figuring that he guessed that she was going to stay.

"Thank you." She heard his quiet voice from behind her. "I'll make us some tea." He listened to her footsteps as she headed upstairs. The padding of her feet against the wrought iron spiral staircase grew fainter with every step.

Flicking her wand at the fireplace Claudia began a small fire on the kindling. Her eyes strayed to the mantel where she saw pictures of Xenophilius and Luna together. Her gaze stopped on a smaller portrait of her, she stared back at Claudia with a dreamy smile. If Luna were still there in the house she would not have to be, Claudia thought to herself. What was this world coming to where a father would have to fight for his daughter's life, bargaining with whatever little he had in hopes of saving her? Her heart ached for people like Xenophilius.

Every day she listened to the radio of the list of missing witches and wizards, praying that she didn't hear any of her friends or family members' names. However there would always be one that she knew- an acquaintance, an old coworker, or an old friend. It was too much to bear. Somehow she knew that she'd never see any of those people again.

Xenophilius came upstairs then holding two russet colored mugs filled with hot tea. Hearing his entrance, she stepped away from the mantel so he wouldn't notice her looking at the pictures. He gave her a brief smile as he handed her one of the mugs, his soft gaze meeting hers. There was something behind his polite expression that told her that he knew she had been looking at the pictures. Raising the hand-kilned mug to her nose she breathed in the dark scent of the tea, the steam warming her face.

"It's organic." He said somewhat conversationally as he hovered behind the couch. She smiled taking a sip. He still seemed embarrassed about kissing her earlier and the air around them now was filled with awkwardness.

"Thanks," She said, ignoring the fact that the tea tasted horrible. She wasn't a fan of chai teas to begin with, but this was awful. She couldn't help but find it all a bit humorous though. 'Such dark times we live in; even the tea is terrible' she thought to herself. Still she was happy to have something hot to drink. It had been a while since she had a rest from the world.

Xenophilius joined her by the fire, stuffing his hand in the pocket of his yellow coat as he sipped from his mug. They stood next to each other, sipping their tea in silence. She looked at the flames dancing around in the fire place, their hot glow taking the chill off the air around them. The longer they stood there, the more she found his presence comforting albeit a tad awkward.

"It's horrible isn't it?" He suddenly asked through the silence. She looked over at him- the firelight played shadows on his face and made his silver blonde hair glow in the darkening room.

"Yes, it is." Claudia answered quietly. She averted her gaze to the fire once more. "I don't understand how they can do this to people. Damn Death Eaters…"

Xenophilius's brow suddenly furrowed in confusion as he looked over at her, "I was talking about the tea."

"Oh, yes of course…" she replied with a laugh, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. "Awful…"

"I only buy it because it's Luna's favorite." He explained. "How I wish she were here."

Claudia nodded her head slowly, the firelight dancing in her eyes, "I know…"

Silence filled the room once more as Xenophilius left Claudia by the fireplace and went to sit on his couch. He pulled at the threads of an old blanket for a bit before speaking.

"You're going back to the Ministry after this?" He asked, more than likely not sure of what else to say.

"Yes," she replied, not wanting to go into it any further than that. The Ministry was an awful place and she hated having to be there. It felt as if she didn't have a friend in the world when she was within those walls. The real truth was that she didn't. There was no one that she could trust outside the Order.

Taking another sip of her tea she left the hearth and came to sit in the armchair by Xenophilius. She could tell that he was hurting but something told her that she may have given him some hope.

AN: Remeber to review! Thanks


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Hey guys FINALLY the last chapter is in. Sorry it took so long but you know, things get a little crazy sometimes and production slows down as a result.

**Chapter 2: **

Silence filled the room once more as Xenophilius left Claudia by the fireplace and went to sit on his couch. He pulled at the threads of an old blanket for a bit before speaking.

"You're going back to the Ministry after this?" He asked, more than likely not sure of what else to say.

"Yes," she replied, not wanting to go into it any further than that. The Ministry was an awful place and she hated having to be there. It felt as if she didn't have a friend in the world when she was within those walls. The real truth was that she didn't. There was no one that she could trust outside the Order.

Taking another sip of her tea she left the hearth and came to sit in the armchair by Xenophilius. She could tell that he was hurting but something told her that she may have given him some hope.

"You worked for Dumbledore then?" asked Xenophilius.

"Yes, when he was still alive I did some work for him but not much, he had his own close following. As an Auror I had a lot of other business as well." Most of it involved working with Moody hunting down Death Eaters and gathering evidence for the war crime trials but that was all kept pretty quiet within the Ministry as well as the methods that were used in obtaining them.

"And now?" He inquired, his tone a bit shaky; probably curious as to what she was further involved in regarding the resistance.

"I really can't say more than that," she told him, absentmindedly rubbing her thumb along the rim of her coffee mug. "Things have become quite complicated these days, and one must be careful about what they say out loud."

Xenophilius grew silent then, knowing all too well about what she was talking about. He certainly had learned his lesson about the articles he had printed in the Quibbler. "Yes," he whispered. "You're right, I'm sorry, it was stupid of me to ask."

Claudia shook her head, setting her mug down on the coffee table in front of her, "No, don't be. It wasn't stupid. I wish- I would really like to say more, to reassure you that we're doing everything we can against You-Know-Who but it's not safe."

"It must be lonely being an Auror," he said after a short pause. "Keeping all these secrets, not being able to talk to anyone about your troubles... forgive me but it seems like a life no one would want."

"It's disfficult," she answered, looking over into the fire. "But if it is what we have to do to win this war then I am more than willing to make my own sacrifices."

Xenophilius looked over at the woman and saw the firm resolve on her face. "Do you have a family?" He asked, already knowing the answer to his question.

"No," she said. It was as Xenophilius thought. He nodded his head before taking another sip of his tea. This woman could devote herself to this cause because she had nothing to lose whereas he had Luna he needed to look after. He knew it seemed unfair to think this way but he couldn't help it.

"Making a family was the best decision of my life," he said, musing on the thought a bit.

"I hope one day, after all of this is over, I'll be able to say the same," she told him. Xenophilius's eyes suddenly became dark and his expression somewhat wilted in reaction to her statement.

"No you don't," Xenophilius whispered sadly, connecting with her gaze. "You don't think you'll live long enough. I see it in your eyes. Someone young like you should not be having these thoughts."

"You presume quite a lot Mr. Lovegood," Claudia said, roughly discarding her teacup on the coffee table and standing up. She was annoyed with what he had just told her as well as affronted and she wanted to take her leave of his house right then. "Thank you for the tea but I have to go," she excused herself, trying not to let his boldness anger her more than she already was.

"Wait, did I offend you?" He asked, knowing that he had. Xenophilius could always tell when he had put someone off although most of the time he didn't understand why. Hurrying over to her, he stopped Claudia in her sudden retreat. He really didn't want her to go; he liked her company and feared the loneliness he knew would come without it. "Please, I'm sorry if I have said something wrong. I'm not the best with people."

"It's fine," she said quickly. Claudia wished that he would stop apologizing; she knew Mr. Lovegood would never say anything to offend anyone and her previous anger at his words had instantly passed. What bothered her now was that perhaps his statement was true. Did she think she would die in the war, she asked herself. The truth was she did not know.

"You speak the truth so freely Mr. Lovegood," she sighed, placing a hand atop the wrought-iron railing around the stairs. "Even before I was an Aura it was not a trait that I possessed; it was one that I feared."

"Why fear being honest, Miss Claudia?" He asked, not understanding how one could ever not be themselves. The notion seemed impossible to him yet she seemed to believe the exact opposite.

"The ones that do not hide their hearts are the people who get hurt." She told him, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "In my experience it's always best to use your head, not your heart." She met his attentive gaze then. Xenophilius' mouth twisted up in a ghost of a smile as he took in her words.

"I don't think I have that capability," he said with some confidence.

Claudia pressed her slightly chapped lips together, holding back her urge to tell him that it was easy to do; that she could tell him how to hide his feelings. But a part of her didn't want to persuade Xenophilius to suppress his feelings. In an odd, unexpected way, she found that she liked his openness. The world needed people like him just like it needed people like her. He would find a way to get by without her telling him how to live, she told herself.

When Claudia found his intense gaze pinned on her once again, she felt her cheeks grow hot for some reason. "Thank you for all of your hospitality Mr. Lovegood but I really do need to get back to the ministry now. I'm sure they're counting every second that I'm gone."

Xenophilius nodded, and suddenly as if he found some new energy quickly stood up from his chair and hurried over to the stairs. "Certainly," he told her, glancing over at her briefly. "I'll see you safely out." He said.

A small grin tugged at Claudia's lips at the thought of Xenophilius protecting anyone, yet the thought was sweet. She then followed him down the steps and into the kitchen. He opened the front door for her, she nodded in thanks as she passed through the doorframe, and he then followed her outside onto the windy green.

Claudia pulled her tailored coat closely around her small frame to retain some warmth. Xenophilius came up beside her, his light blonde hair whipping crazily in the strong breeze. The sharp cold made Claudia want to get out of there as soon as she could so that she may instantly warm herself up again. "I'll do everything I can to gather information on Luna's possible whereabouts," she assured Xenophilius.

"Thank you Miss Claudia, you don't know how much that means to me." He told her. He suddenly felt the urge to kiss her once more but restrained himself from actually doing it, knowing that the chances of her receiving it well were slim. Xenophilius was just so grateful to her. Instead of kissing her he told her, "You're a kind woman, please don't hide it."

Claudia smiled, "Goodbye Mr. Lovegood. With any luck, you'll be hearing from me soon." She then disapparated, leaving Xenophilius alone in the field, the wind tearing at his clothes.

He really, really hoped that she would come back.

FIN

AN: Hoped you all liked my story! I had a great time writing for Xenophilius, he's just such an odd/fun character; threatening and nonthreatening at the same time. Please let me know what you thought.


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